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Solar eclipses are arguably the most impressive astronomical phenomena one can observe. But how often do they occur?

Between two and five solar eclipses happen each year somewhere on Earth. Whereas partial eclipses can be observed from a wide geographical area, total or annular eclipses can only be seen from a narrow strip on the surface of the Earth. For a given place, total or annular solar eclipses are therefore quite rare; and to witness such an eclipse, one usually must travel to a location where the event is visible.

Total eclipses of the sun, the most spectacular kind, happen on average every 375 years for a given location. But this being an average, some locations will be more favoured than others. For example, the last total solar eclipse visible from Montreal occurred on August 31, 1932, and the next one will happen on April 8, 2024, with only 91 years separating the two events. At the other end of the spectrum, the citizens of Regina, Sask., really don’t fare as well: we must rewind the clock all the way back to the year 55 B.C. to find the last total solar eclipse visible from there, and the next one isn’t due to happen until the year 2153 — a whopping 2207 years later!

The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 is the first of its kind to be visible from North America in the 21st century. The last total eclipse visible from the North American continent happened on February 26, 1979: The inhabitants of southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, northwestern Ontario, and far northern Quebec were able to see this event.

Some may recall the eclipse of July 10, 1972, which crossed the Gaspé Peninsula, or the eclipse of August 20, 1963, which was visible from the Mauricie region. If you had the chance to witness either one of these eclipses, there’s no doubt that you keep imperishable memories of the event.

Eclipse chasers take note: the next total solar eclipses (after August 21, 2017) will happen on July 2, 2019, and December 14, 2020. Both will be visible from the South Pacific Ocean, Chile, and Argentina.

The following table shows the date of the last and next total solar eclipse visible from a selection of localities in Québec and elsewhere in Canada.